The Model

August 29, 2012

Kissing Rocks

This is part of the first chapter of Enchanted Rock White(tail):

The Model

Maurice walked into headquarters wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt that had Texas Secede printed on it in red and blue, and went straight back to his office. Right after going through the door, he stopped. There, sitting in a chair next to his desk, was a sultry blonde, wearing a very small pair of black panties, and a black lace bra, which for the most part just spilled out her generous feminine curves towards him. The girl’s left wrist was handcuffed to the arm of the chair. She inclined her head slightly to the right, and blonde curls spilled over her shoulder.

“I’m a flight risk.” The girl’s accent was distinctly not Texan.

Maurice stared at her for a few more seconds, then realized he was staring, and blushed. He went back out of the office to the customer service desk Gwen was working.

“There’s a naked woman in my office.”

Gwen slowly shook her head. “I don’t know where they get these people. Talk to Paul. He just stepped out to use the men’s room on the back deck.”

At that moment, Paul came into the lobby. He was wearing the full uniform of a Texas Parks and Wildlife Park Police Officer, right down to the bullet-proof vest, straw hat, black leather equipment belt, holstered Glock .40 handgun, two extra magazines of ammunition, Mace, and an empty handcuff case.

Maurice nodded towards the office where the young woman sat, and as he did so, he winced.

“You’re on convalescent leave. You’re not supposed to be here. You had a bullet taken out of your chest a week ago.”

“I just thought. . . . “ His sentence tapered off as he looked at the blonde again. “Paul?”

“Lascivious conduct. Got proof, too. Open and shut case.”

Maurice could see a man on the back deck talking on a cell phone, with a camera hanging on a strap around his neck. The hair sticking out from under the man’s New York Yankees baseball cap was dyed an odd shade of red.

“Proof?”

“That guy out there. It’s in his camera, but he won’t give it to me. Says it’s protected by the First Amendment.”

Maurice walked back into the office. “First, let’s get this young lady out of the handcuffs.”

Paul shrugged, and got out his handcuff key. “She’s a flight risk.”

The girl nodded. “I’m a flight risk, officer.” She rubbed her wrist as Paul put the handcuffs back into their case.

Maurice sat down in another chair. He caught himself staring at the blonde again, and blushed, and she winked at him. Paul stood by the door.

“See? He’s blocking the door so I don’t try to escape. I’m a dangerous criminal.”

Her accent was strong; not the melodious speech of the southerner, or the twang of the westerner, but familiar to Maurice.

“OK, Paul, take it from the start. How did we end up with a naked woman in the office?”

The blonde turned to look at the other officer. “Yes, Paul, how did we end up with a naked woman in the office?”

Paul shrugged. “I was walking up the Turkey Canyon Trail. You said ‘A PPO should know every square foot of his territory.’ So, I was doing that. Anyway, I got to that place you call Kissing Rock, and there she was, naked as the day she was born, and this guy had a camera set up and was taking pictures of her.”

Maurice looked at the blonde, trying not to stare. She leaned forward slightly, and her breasts almost escaped the minimal restraint of the bra. Paul shifted nervously in the doorway.

“Ma’am, is that true?”

“Yes, that is true. However, I was just changing into another outfit. I was only naked for a few seconds. He came up on us right between shots. And then he made a big deal out of it and made us come in here.”

“Well, we do have rules about nudity in the park.”

Paul shifted again, thumbs thrust into his equipment belt. “I have proof. Well, that guy out there has proof in his camera.”

The blonde sighed. “He’s a photographer for a very well-known fashion magazine. We’re doing a shoot out here. This place came highly recommended.”

“Highly recommended?” Maurice winced again as he aggravated the still healing wound in his chest.

“Yes. My old step-dad, he told me about this place. Said it was one of the most beautiful places ever. We were doing a shoot in Austin and decided to pop over.”

“I see. Do you have some actual clothes?”

The girl sighed again. “Of course I do. They’re in the car.”

“Why aren’t you wearing them?”

“Bumblebrains here locked the keys in the car.”

It was Paul’s turn to blush. Maurice turned to look at Paul, who shrugged.

“It was an accident.”

“Well, get the tool, and see if you can get the car unlocked.”

Maurice turned back around to look at the girl. “You from New York?”

“What of it?”

“Your accent is familiar. We used to have a New Yorker working here, John Dooley. He talked just like that.”

“Yeah, well that’s the guy I was talking about. He’s my step-dad. Well, he used to be. I’m Monica.”

“John Dooley’s your step dad?”

“My mother was wife number two. They didn’t last long, but he was always nice to me. You’re his friend, aren’t you? You’re that famous park ranger. What was it, the hill country hero?”

Maurice shook his head and sat down at the desk. “I’m not a hero. Let me see what we can do about getting you out of here.”